Giving the ball back?

[Jojo]

At my DD's college you traded them in for an ice cream cone----with sprinkles

 

[Lenski]

In college, giving back the ball is the norm. It's only a ball..........

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

In college, giving back the ball is the norm. It's only a ball..........

...to you and I, but to a little girl who plays it's much more than that. It's a stupid policy at a school like OSU or any other university with more money than it knows what to do with.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I can't think of a college sport, where we can keep the ball if it goes into the stands. Maybe at the pro softball games, you can keep the ball. I don't know.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I certainly could be wrong, but I think you're overrating the excitement of getting a ball for most. As I noted, it's not like a MLB game, where I've been to dozens if not hundreds and never come close to getting one. If you gave them away, you might lose 10 balls per game, probably more. But if it's 10, at $4 a pop (probably more), that's $40 per game. Probably talking $1,000 a year,wouldn't be surprised if it's $2,000. I'm not that an athletic department gets its money's worth in goodwill to spend $2,000 on that. Would rather let the fans in free and buy more tanner tees and pitching screens. Heck, if it were my goal to get a ball at an NCAA game, I bet I could get one very game by being a ball hawk. Free admission and a free ball. That's a heckuva deal.

 

[YoungBuck]

I certainly could be wrong, but I think you're overrating the excitement of getting a ball for most. As I noted, it's not like a MLB game, where I've been to dozens if not hundreds and never come close to getting one. If you gave them away, you might lose 10 balls per game, probably more. But if it's 10, at $4 a pop (probably more), that's $40 per game. Probably talking $1,000 a year,wouldn't be surprised if it's $2,000. I'm not that an athletic department gets its money's worth in goodwill to spend $2,000 on that. Would rather let the fans in free and buy more tanner tees and pitching screens. Heck, if it were my goal to get a ball at an NCAA game, I bet I could get one very game by being a ball hawk. Free admission and a free ball. That's a heckuva deal.

...That's not much money to most of these universities.

If I had to take a guess it's not about the money.

 

[CoogansBluff]

...That's not much money to most of these universities.

If I had to take a guess it's not about the money.

What is it about then?

Even $1 is a lot of money if it doesn't buy anything. Whether it's $2,000 or $10, you don't spend it if doesn't pay off. I think the colleges feel that a policy of giving away balls would not bring enough joy, excitement and goodwill to invest whatever the cost is. But as I said, I could be wrong.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

If I can buy a NCAA ball for $5, the schools are paying $2. But let's keep it at $2,000 per season as a nice round number. I can save that by restricting the team to 3 unifroms (home, away, alternate) instead of 4 or 5 or 6 and having Reebok buy us a few more boxes of balls. Hell, I can cover the expense here just by having Urban Meyer ask for a donation to the FP team on the radio.

You are correct that it's not the same as an MLB foul ball. But for those without access to an MLB team, or the girls who don't care about baseball, it is darn close. Why not let them keep it, and then have a chance for an autograph or 2 after the game?

I agree with YB - it's not about the money, and I am curious as to the reason.

 

[SB23]

...That's not much money to most of these universities.

If I had to take a guess it's not about the money.

not alot of money out of the university budget but its probably a lot to the softball budget

 

[obbay]

My guess is that WCWS home run ball goes to the player as a souvenir.

I have seen them presented to the parents after they tracked them down. it was nice.